100-year-old woman reveals that beer and potato chips are the reason that she's still alive

Feature by Thomas Lethbridge

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It’s impossible to eat anything in the world today without being reminded of health. With governments and good food activists intent on ruining everyone’s favourite treats forever, it feels like the days of guilt free junk are long gone. However much we might resist, we now know far too much about which foods will end up killing us to carry on obliviously munching. We’ve all been rudely awakened.

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But what if some of the things we now take as gospel turned out to be wrong? What if it is possible to eat yummy things and still manage to scrape past seventy? What if the very things that we thought were killing us have actually been keeping us alive the whole time? What a world that would be.

To a chorus of cheers from fast food fans everywhere, Matilda Curcia celebrated her 100th birthday this week by revealing her surprising secret to long life. According to the San Francisco resident, her longevity is down to her daily habit of beer and potato chips. Though this revelation may fly in the face of what we think we know about alcohol and deep fried snacks, Curcia absolutely swears by it.

Speaking to NBC San Diego, the new centenarian said that, "I have no pain and do my exercises every day. And have my beer. Eat my potato chips. That's about all.” Despite indulging in habits that would horrify most normal doctors, in this case it seems that the results speak for themselves.

Though numerous studies have proven that alcohol and fried foods carry a number of health risks, there is some science to support Curcia’s surprising claims. One recent piece of research revealed that there may be a proactive ingredient in beer that can have some surprising physical benefits. These include reducing the risk of diabetes and other forms of metabolic disorder. Though the benefits fail to outweigh the negatives in most cases, it’s clear that Curcia is not most people.

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Aside from enjoying a long and fruitful life, one of the things that most centenarians seem to have in common is an advocacy for enjoyment. 107-year-old Mario Rotelli says that he’s been sloshing whiskey into his coffee for over a century, while 102-year-old Eunice Modlin insists that her secret is dark chocolate and napping. 104-year-old Michigan resident Theresa Rowland insists that the only possible explanation for her long life is the can of Diet Coke that she’s had every day since 1982. Whichever way you look at it, it’s clear that a little bit of indulgence can go a long way to keeping you alive.

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The variety of strange habits and treats that seem to be sustaining the world’s eldest statesmen and women proves that there’s no hard and fast recipe to guarantee long life. However, it’s also clear that the key to survival isn’t necessarily abstinence and salads. While we all know that there’s no way to live exclusively of chips and beers, Matilda Curcia proves that a little treat every now and then definitely doesn’t hurt.